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What I Learned about Special Education Implementation and Accountability from an Administrative Perspective

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What I Learned about Special Education Implementation and Accountability from an Administrative Perspective

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Administrators are tasked with many objectives throughout their daily activities. Special Education implementation is one that can be overlooked primarily due to a lack of understanding the laws themselves (T. Roy, personal communication, August 21, 2018). It was interesting finding an article produce by Roberts and Guerra (2017) that explores the overall knowledge administrators have dealing with Special Education procedures. Many educators that enter administrative roles may have little to no Special Education experience inn the classroom, therefore improved training procedures may be needed to ensure that educator are in compliance with state mandated laws.

It was interesting to learn during my conversation with Mr. Roy (2018) about three areas that educators are held liable in a court of law. The first being corporal punishment, which was not very surprising. The second being responsibilities relating to driving a bus, which was required when I was coaching. The third being following student Individualized Education Plan (IEP) specifications. IEP procedures fall under Special Education requirements mandated by the Texas Education Agency (2018). As an aspiring administrator, helping students as well as educators succeed is a primary goal. Better understanding Special Education laws will benefit both students and educators.

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The Associated Press. (May 1, 2018). Texas unveils special education fix after denying services for years. Education weekly, 37(29), 5. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/05/02/texas-unveils-special-education-fix-after-denying.html

Patterson, J. (May 9, 2018). Students with disabilities miss 'opportunities to learn' when suspended. Education dive. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/students-with-disabilities-miss-opportunities-to-learn-when-suspended/523156/

Roberts, M., & Guerra Jr., F. (2017). Principals' perceptions of their knowledge in special education. Current issues in education, 20(1), 1-17. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.easydb.angelo.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=6962e2c9-20ac-4716-8b40-c9c29d980566%40pdc-v-sessmgr04

Texas Education Agency. (2018). Improving special education in Texas. Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/TexasSPED/

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Together, we are committed to high expectations and strong systems that achieve equitable outcomes for every student with a disability. In early 2018, TEA worked with stakeholders across Texas to develop the Strategic Plan for Special Education in Texas.

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Discipline involving students with Special Education needs can be counterproductive when it comes to suspension. An exploration on time spent away from school in relation to individual needs addresses the need for changes in disciplinary procedures. (Patterson, 2018).

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Dive Brief:

A Report article discusses the findings of a recent study showing students with disabilities are being suspended at a higher rate than their peers, particularly black students with disabilities who miss three times as many days of school in suspension than white classmates with disabilities.

The study's authors wrote that the missed time results in "huge inequities in the opportunity to learn", citing other research showing such suspensions greatly increase the likelihood a student will be in the criminal justice system.

The researcher's report points to data from Mississippi where, during the 2015-16 school year, for every 100 black students with disabilities 113 days of school were missed compared to 44 for their disabled white classmates.

Dive Insight:

One study shows that students with disabilities are dramatically over represented in the juvenile justice system, perhaps making up 70% of that population, most with emotional disturbances and learning disabilities.

While numbers vary according to methods of reporting and students moving in and out of the juvenile justice system, the Hechinger Report has also reported that while 13% of students in the Mississippi's public schools are in special education programs, in one youth juvenile detention facility 27% were designated as having disabilities, while at another 50% qualified for special education.

The PACER Center has reported the problem is connected to a lack of training among teachers and another report says a lack of special education teachers contributes. A counselor shortage also plays a role.

The prison lobby influences school policies about discipline, according to reports, by advocating for harsh punishments for small infractions - including referrals to police for violations such as ignoring the school dress code and stealing a soda from a teacher lounge.

A Harvard University education school lecturer has said that the school-to-prison pipeline causes African-American students to be three times more likely to be suspended or expelled - and that then those students are three times as likely to fall into the juvenile justice system. They are 11% of the population yet 31% percent of the students suspended.

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Students with disabilities miss 'opportunities to learn' when suspended

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A Report article discusses the findings of a recent study showing students with disabilities are being suspended at a higher rate than their peers, particularly black students with disabilities who miss three times as many days of school in suspension than white classmates with disabilities.

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Special Education is often seen in Texas headlines due to the lack of priority that is placed on testing, evaluation, and implementation of services. The Associated Press (2018) explores a proposed plan that the state of Texas has decided to address.

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News in Brief

Texas has unveiled a formal plan to overhaul special education statewide, after federal officials found that services were for years illegally denied to students with disabilities.

The Texas Education Agency released a draft plan in January. It conducted 100-plus feedback focus groups with students, parents, teachers, and school administrators before releasing the final plan last week. It calls for increasing special education staffing, providing better special education training for teachers, and creating more tools for parents of children with suspected disabilities.

Texas also will assist districts in identifying and helping thousands of students who were previously denied services.

Published in Print: May 2, 2018, as Texas Unveils Special Education Fix After Denying Services for Years

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Texas Unveils Special Education Fix After Denying Services for Years

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News in Brief Texas has unveiled a formal plan to overhaul special education statewide, after federal officials found that services were for years illegally denied to students with disabilities. The Texas Education Agency released a draft plan in January. It conducted 100-plus feedback focus groups with students, parents, teachers, and school administrators before releasing the final plan last week.

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Exploration Option 1: Discussion - Top 5

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Exploration Option 1: Discussion - Top 5

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I sat down with my former evaluating principal to discuss legal and ethical issues he has encountered during his time as an administrator. For the sake of anonymity, pseudonyms are used in place of the administrator's name as well as the name of the school. Travis Roy has been an assistant principal at South Side High School for five years. He is also the principal in charge of overseeing the Special Education Department.

#1. District-wide Special Education training for educators is inconsistent for individual campuses. Mandating professional development on Special Education requirements for all educators at every level could improve a district-wide initiative.

#2. Case management is often left to few individual educators. Each campus has several certified Special Education teachers, though only a few of them are tasked with maintaining case management lists.

#3. Disciplinary action for students with disabilities need to be prioritized based on student needs. Many educators become frustrated when a student with disabilities is not met with the same level of disciplinary action as general education students. This can lead to a drop in teacher morale by leaving them feeling unsupported by the administration.

#4. Each student's present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) must be consistent to proposed student goals in the educational setting. Each student goal must be addressed with data-driven evidence collected from both the General Education teacher and the Special Education teacher to ensure that specific needs are being met.

#5. Collaboration between General Education teachers and Special Education teachers is imperative for successful implementation of Special Education requirements/procedures.

(T. Roy, personal communication, August 21, 2018)

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Legal/Ethical Issue of Interest to Me: Special Education Implementation and Accountability

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Legal/Ethical Issue of Interest to Me: Special Education Implementation and Accountability

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Having taught multiple subjects alongside Special Education, I plan on becoming the assistant principal that oversees the Special Education Department. I have worked at several campuses where Special Education procedures are thoroughly implemented and others where they are often overlooked and/or not prioritized.

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Upon completion of the graduate program that I am currently enrolled in through Angelo State University, I will obtain a Master's Degree in Educational Administration. I am also pursuing a Texas Principal Certificate to be employed as an assistant high school principal.